How to mute a single app on a Mac
The mute key on a Mac silences every app at once. To mute one app and keep the rest playing, the right method depends on what is making the noise.
Mute a browser tab
- Safari. A tab that plays sound shows a speaker icon, and so does the address field. Click it to mute that tab.
- Chrome. Right-click the tab and choose Mute site. Chrome keeps the site muted until you unmute it, including in new tabs.
- Firefox. Click the speaker icon on the tab, or right-click the tab and choose Mute Tab.
- Edge. Right-click the tab and choose Mute tab.
Turn off notification sounds for one app
If an app keeps chiming, open System Settings → Notifications, pick the app and turn off Play sound for notifications. Its banners still appear, without the sound. A Focus mode goes further and holds back notifications from most apps.
Mute an app that has no mute button
Games, meeting apps and video editors often have no mute control, and macOS has no built-in way to silence one of them. Levels, a free menu bar app, can mute any app that plays sound:
- Open Levels and click the faders icon in the menu bar.
- Click the icon of the app you want to silence. It turns gray and gets a red badge.
- Click it again to bring the sound back at the level it had before.
Find the app that is making the sound
Sometimes the problem is knowing where the sound comes from, such as a hidden tab or an app in the background. In Levels, apps that are playing right now show a small animated indicator next to their name, so you can find the noisy one and mute it from the same list.
If you want the app quieter rather than silent, see how to change the volume of individual apps.